Photographic developing apparatus.



No. 7|7,02l Patented, Dec. 30, I902.

A; POLLAK. A PHUTOGBAPHIC DEVELOPING "APPARATUS.

(Application filed July 9, 1902.) (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

1 2'? 2 lNVEiPTOR \AQTNESSES: 9M1

Unrrn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTON POLLAK, OF BUDAPEST, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING APPARATUS.

:SPECIFIGA'IION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,021, datedDecember 30, 1902.

Application filed July 9, 1902. Serial No. 114.944. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTON POLLAK, a subject of the EmperorofAustria-Hungary, residing in Budapest, in the Empire of Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPhotographic Developing Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention aims to provide certain improvements in developingapparatus for photographic strips by means of which it is made possibleto pass such strips of very short length mechanically through developingand fixing baths without the use of strip-moving rollers or bands in thefluid-receptacles.

The improved apparatus of my invention presents also various otheradvantages hereinafter specified in detail.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, illustrating an embodiment ofthe invention, Figure 1 shows the apparatus in plan. Fig. 2 is a sideview of the same apparatus, illustrating the driving mechanism for theseveral rollers. Fig. 3 is a verticallongitudinal section on a smallerscale. Fig. 4 is an end view. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 ofFig. 1.

According to my invention the receptacle or receptacles for the liquidare provided with guides which guide the end of astrip into, through,and out of the liquid, and meanssuch, for example, as a pair ofrollersare arranged in advance of the receptacles to force the stripforward into the guides. Preferably also a similar pair of press-rollersis arranged at the rear end of the receptacle, and the strip emergingfrom the bath has its end guided into these press-rollers, which draw itout of the bath and at the same time press out the superfluous liquidthereon. By reason of this construction very short strips can beproperly fed through the bath, which is an especial advantage indeveloping photographically printed telegraph messages, such, forexample, as those of the rapid telegraph system of Pollak and Virag.

According to an important feature of the invention I may make the narrowpassage in which the strip is guided the receptacle itself for theliquid, which receptacle will be of a substantially concave shapeupward-that is to say, with only the advance and rear ends of the bathopen to the air, so that the liquid shall have a very small surfaceexposed to the air and shall be thus in a great degree protected fromthe decomposing influence of the air. This construction has also theadvantage that the strip is continually brought into contact with freshdeveloping fluid which, for quick development, as in the Pollak andVirag system above referred to, is of the greatest value.

Referring now to the particular embodiment of the invention illustratedin the drawings, I arrange in a frame or chamber 1 a receptacle 2 forthe developing fluid and a receptacle 15 for the fixing fluid, Figs. 3and 5. The receptacle 2, as shown, consists of a trough ofsemicyliudrical or similar longitudinal section, in which is fastened,bymeans of bolts 6, Fig. 5, an upper wall 3, preferably of semicylindricalor similar shape, so arranged that between it and the lower wall 2 thereis formed a narrow passage 4, which serves at the same time as areceptacle for the developing fluid and also as a guide for thephotographic strip. While the shape of these parts as shown ispreferable for the purpose of properly guiding the strip, yet theintermediate portions thereof may be considerably varied in shapewithout sacrificing the advantage due to the exposing of the fluid tothe air only at the two ends of the receptacle. For the purpose ofinsuring the complete wetting of both sides of the strip I preferablyenlarge the passage at any desired point, as by cutting a transversegroove across the face of one of the walls-such, for example, as thegroove 5, Fig. 3. The liquid at this point will be of greater depth andthe strip which at this point is pressed against the concave side of thepassage will have a space formed by the groove 5.iu its rear, so as toinsure complete wetting with the developing liquid.

As the passage 4 holds only a very small quantity of liquid, I provide aspecial means for always maintaining the latter at substantially thesame level. For this purpose I preferably use a reservoir for feedingthe liquid, operating on the principle of the Mariotte flask, Fig. 4.Gonnectedwith thepassage 4 is a passage 8 in an attachment 7 alongsidethe receptacle. The open upper end of the passage 8 is widened, and inthis upper end extend two tubes 9 and 10 from a res ervoir 11 for thepurpose of conducting the liquid therefrom. The tube 9 extends nearly tothe bottom of the passage 8,while the height of the lower end of thetube 10 is arranged according to the desired level of the liquid in thepassages 8 and 4. As soon as the level of the liquid falls below the endof the tube 10 air entering the latter passes into the upper part of theotherwise closed reservoir 11 and permits the escape of a correspondingquantity of fluid through tube 9 into the passage 8 and thence into thereceptacle 4. The area of the upper end of the passage Sis of such mag--nitude that only a very little surface of the developing fluid isexposed to the air. The tube pincer 12 serves for cutting off flow fromthe reservoir. The reservoir4 may be emptied of liquid, and also thepassage 8, by means of a valve 13 in the tube 14. Obviously themaintenance of a constant level of the fluid in the reservoir may besecured by any other known or suitable apparatus than that described.The fixing-bath is preferably carried in a receptacle 15. Thisreceptacle may be constructed identically like the receptacle for thedeveloping liquid. Since, however, the fixing liquid is not injured, oris but slightly injured by exposure to air, the same measures ofprecaution are not necessary as in the case of developing liquid. Thereceptacle for the fixing liquid may therefore be made ofsomewhat-simpler construction as, for example, that shown in Fig. 3.

The receptacle 15 is a simple tray with a flat bottom, in which anumber-as, for example, three-ribs 16 are provided, Figs. 1 and 3, theupper edges of which are suitably curvedas, for example, in the concaveform shown. Above these ribs are corresponding ribs 17, withcorrespondingly-curved convex lower edges,,so arranged that between thepairs of ribs are formed narrow guide-passages 18. The bolts 19 servefor the fixing of the ribs 17 in their proper position. Astiffening-bolt 20 is preferably provided between the side walls of thechamber 1. The fixing liquid fills the space between the ribs, asindicated in Fig. 1, while the narrow spaces between the upper ribs 17and the lower ribs 16 serve to guide the strip properly through theliquid.

The moving of the strip through the apparatus may be accomplished in thefollowing way: The strip is first conducted (preferably directly fromthe exposing-chamber) between the rollers 21 and 22, of which the roller21 is directly driven, while the various other press-rollers of theapparatus are simultaneously driven from the roller 21 by means ofsuitable toothed pinions or the like, Figs. 1 and 2. The strip passingthrough the rollers 21 and 22 is forced into the passage 4, beingconstrained in direction by the shape of the passage, and escapes at theother end of the passage developed. The suitably curved guide-fingers 23on the cross-bolt 24 guide the end ofthe developed strip between thepress-rollers 25 and 26. The latter, as also those previously described,are covered with elastic materialsuch, for example, as rubberand pressout the superfluous liquid, which flows into the collecting-receptacle29. The discharge-tube serves for running the fluid out of thereceptacle when the fluid has reached a certain desired level.Preferably the liquid in this receptacle is maintained at such a level,as indicated by the top of the tube 30, that the roller 25 is kept wetin order to avoid the sticking of the strip to the rollers. From therollers 25 and 26 the strip runs into the fixing-bath and is there in asimilar Way forced forward by the rollers through the guide-passage 18,after which by means of the press-rollers 27 and 28 the fixing liquid ispressed out. back into the receptacle 15 or may be otherwise disposedof. The number of pairs of press-rollers may be increased, if desired,by arranging one or more pairs in succession. For example, two or morepairs might be arranged in the rear of the developing or the fixingbath, and also a washing-bath of any suitable construction may beprovided, although by a suitable pressing out of the liquid by means ofthe press-rollers the washing of the strip can in most cases bedispensed with.

The apparatus of my invention is characterized by extremely simple andcheap construction, which is due largely to the avoidance ofguiding-rollers or guiding-bands and which insures certainty andsimplicity of operation of the apparatus. Also the apparatusaccomplishes a great saving in developing fluid, which in a telegraphsystem is a matter of considerable importance.

The entire apparatus may be inclosed in a light-proof chamber and theexposed strip The latter flows thus protected from the injuriousinfluence Y of intense light.

Though I have described with great particularity of detail an apparatusembodying my invention, yet it is to be understood that the invention isnot limited to the particular apparatus disclosed.

Various modifications of the details and of the arrangement andcombination of the parts are possible to those skilled in the artwithout departure from the invention.

What I claim is 1. In a developing apparatus for a photographic strip,the combination with a receptacle for the liquid, of means at theentrance end of said receptacle for pushing the strip forward, andguides adapted to automatically engage the end of said strip as it ispushed forward and to guide the same through and out of the liquid.

2. In a developing apparatus for a photographic strip, the combinationwith a receptacle for the liquid having an upper wall and a lower wallarranged with an upwardly-con- IIO cave passage between them forsubmerging the strip, of means at the entrance end of said receptaclefor pushing the strip forward, said concave passage being so narrow asto properly guide the free end of the strip directly through and out ofthe liquid.

3. In a developing apparatus for a photographic strip, a'receptacle forthe liquid having an upper wall and a lower wall arranged with a narrowupwardly-concave passage between them for submerging and guiding thestrip, and one of the walls having a transverse groove across its face.

4. In a developing apparatus for a photographic strip, a receptacle forthe liquid having a fixed upper convexly-curved wall and a fixed lowerconcavely-curved wall arranged with a passage between them upwardlycurved at its ends for submerging the strip, said passage being sonarrow as to properly guide the free end of a strip directly through andout of the liquid as said strip is pushed forward into said receptacle.

5. In a developing apparatus for a photographic strip, a receptacle forthe liquid having an upper convex wall and a lower concave wall arrangedwith a narrow passage between them for submerging and guiding the strip,and having a transverse groove across the concave face of the lowerwall.

6. In a developing apparatus for a photographic strip, the combinationwith a receptacle for the liquid, of ribs forming guidingpassagesthrough the liquid, and means for moving the strip in said passagesthrough the liquid.

7. In a developing apparatus for a photographic strip, the combinationwith a receptacle for the liquid, of pairs of ribs 16, 17, havingbetween them guide-passages for guiding the end of a strip into, throughand out of the liquid, and means for moving the strip in said passagesthrough the liquid.

8. In a developing apparatus for a photographic strip, a receptacle forthe liquid having an upper wall and a lower wall arranged with a narrowupwardly-concave passage between them for submerging and guiding thestrip, in combination with means for automatically feeding liquid to thereceptacle and maintaining the same at a substantially constant leveltherein.

9. In a developing apparatus for a photographic strip, the combinationwith a receptacle for the liquid, of press-rollers at the rear end ofsaid receptacle and between which the strip runs, and means for keepingsaid rollers wet.

10. In a developing apparatus for a photographic strip, the combinationwith a receptacle for the liquid, of press-rollers at the rear end ofsaid receptacle and between which the strip runs, a separate receptaclebelow said rollers for receiving the liquid pressed out from the strip,and means for maintaining the liquid in said separate receptacle incontact with said press-rollers so as to keep the latter wet.

11. In a developing apparatus for a photographic strip, the combinationwith a receptacle for the liquid, of press-rollers at the rear end ofsaid receptacle and between which the strip runs, and guides adjacent tothe rear end of the receptacle for guiding the end of the strip to thepress-rollers.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ANTON POLLAK.

Witnesses:

FRANK DYER CHESTER, RELERNnss Aunnrns.

